How does the hitchhiking, flat-headed remora fish attach to surfaces so securely yet release so easily? Suction was thought to be the easy answer, but Brooke Flammang, a biologist at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), has proved this to be only partly true.

The year has just begun, and the six marine-mammal care centers in Southern California - including SeaWorld San Diego - have already rescued more than 300 beached California sea lion pups.

The precise cause is not clear, but it is believed the sea lions are suffering from a scarcity of natural prey that forces them to wean earlier from nursing mothers. It is possible that this winter's mild El Nino effect, which alters ocean currents and temperatures, may be compounding the shortage of fish that sea lions rely on for food.

Orlando's CBS affiliate recently debuted a one-hour, in-depth look at the impact SeaWorld has on animals in our parks and around the world. This TV special, "SeaWorld - 50 Years of Caring", is now available for everyone - no matter where you live - to watch online at http://www.clickorlando.com/SeaWorld.

Wildlife crime, including poaching, is an issue all over the world. Elephants, rhinos, tigers and other animals are illegally poached by criminal networks so their body parts, such as ivory and fur, can be sold on the black market. Other animals, such as lemurs, are poached for their meat.

To help create awareness for this issue former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton declared Dec. 4 as Wildlife Conservation Day.